Bulldogs fall to CV

BASEBALL: Burbank has no answer for surging Falcons in 8-1 Pacific League loss at home.

May 12, 2010|By Gabriel Rizk

BURBANK HIGH — At this point, Crescenta Valley High pitcher Nate Rousey might be the last guy the Burbank baseball team wants to see on the mound.

The sophomore right-hander beat the Bulldogs for the second time this season on Tuesday afternoon, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings to lead the Falcons to an 8-1 Pacific League victory at Burbank.

“I was just trying to get ahead in the count and let the defense work for me,” said Rousey, who received plenty of run support from Troy Mulcahey and Elliott Surrey, who both went four for four with a combined seven runs batted in.

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The win was Crescenta Valley’s 12th in its last 13 league games since dropping its league opener to Burroughs on March 23. The Falcons’ only loss in that span came to Arcadia, which clinched the league title on Tuesday with its win over Glendale.

The Falcons (20-5, 11-2 in league) have clinched second place with the regular-season finale against Arcadia remaining on Friday.

Burbank (14-13-1, 8-5) saw a chance to clinch third place and a playoff berth go by the wayside on Tuesday and will have to beat Burroughs in the regular-season finale on Friday to ensure its postseason passage.

With Burroughs and Pasadena both at 7-6 in league currently, and Pasadena likely to finish the season at 8-6 with winless Muir as its opponent Friday, Burbank must beat Burroughs to avoid falling into a three-way tie for the league’s final two playoff spots.

“It would have helped our cause for third place [to beat CV],” Burbank Coach Bob Hart said. “If we take care of business Friday, we should be OK.”

As Crescenta Valley increased its lead inning by inning in the early going, Burbank steadily ran and threw itself out of the game with baserunning gaffes and errors.

After the Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Surrey double with one out followed by a two-out Mulcahey single, the Bulldogs (14-13-1, 8-5) had their first baserunner of the game picked off at first base for the first out of the second inning.

Trying to build on a 1-0 lead to start the third inning, Crescenta Valley had a runner at first with no outs when Cole Curie bounced what looked to be an easy double-play ball back to the mound. But the throw was wide of second base, no outs were recorded on the play and the Falcons had the bases loaded with no outs when Surrey bunted his way aboard one batter later.

Mccaulay then came through with his second RBI hit of the day, a single that drove in two for a 3-0 lead.

More questionable baserunning with no outs squelched a potential Bulldogs rally in the bottom half of the third when Ryan Favor doubled to deep-center field, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

The Falcons began to break the game open in the top of the fifth inning with back-to-back doubles.